Transit-Oriented Development in Boston

A Presentation for theNational Community Development Association

Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CAJune 2007

Historical Background

Boston is known as “America’s Walking City”

• Compact size and density make walking an effective mode of transit.

• Boston has 7th highest percentage of pedestrian commuters in US (Cambridge, MA is highest).

• First subway in the US: Tremont Street Subway opened in 1897 (precursor to Green Line)

Historical Background

• 1947 new Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) formed and took over streetcars, subways elevated railways and bus operations, served 14 adjacent cities and towns.

• 1964 Metropolitan Boston Transit Authority (MBTA) formed, serving 78 cities and towns.

• 1987 Washington Street elevated replaced by Southwest Corridor (subway, commuter rail), reducing rapid transit service to Roxbury.

• 1999 MBTA expanded to 175 cities and towns

Quick Facts

• MBTA averages 1.1 million passenger trips every workday.

• Subway averages about 600,000 trips every workday.

• No. of lines: 13 commuter rail, 5 light rail, 4 subway, 3 trolleybus, 4 ferryboat, 183 bus

• Boston ranks 3rd in transit’s market share for commuting (33%). Washington, DC is 1st.

• MBTA has its own song, “Charlie on the MTA”, recorded by Kingston Trio in 1959

TOD in Boston: context

• Almost all of Boston is within ¼ mile of a transit station

• MBTA coordinates/collaborates with City on renovations to existing stations and construction of new stations, makes MBTA land available.

• $30 million TOD Infrastructure and Housing Support Bond Program for pedestrian improvements, bicycle facilities, design, housing projects and parking facilities

• $10 million Commercial Area Transit Node Housing Program

TOD Projects in Boston

• 1973 EPA parking freeze @ 1973 levels plus 10%

• 51,000 spaces in 1977, grew only 9% to 59,100 in 1997. Boston has 2nd most expensive parking in US – NYC is 1st

• Many T-stops are located within one of Boston’s 19 Main Streets neighborhood commercial revitalization districts

TOD Projects

• Mattapan Square Station (Red Line)• Bartlett Yards at Dudley Station (Bus and Silver

Line)• Fairmount Line (Commuter Rail): upgrade

Uphams Corner & Morton Street stations, possible 4 new stations at Newmarket, Four Corners, Talbot Ave and Blue Hill Ave.

• Maverick Station (blue line) HOPE-VI• Ashmont Station (Red Line)

Ashmont TOD Project

• Located at Peabody Square in Ashmont Neighborhood of Dorchester.

• Redevelopment of station and surface parking lot into 6 story, 190,000 s.f. mixed-use building

• 116 housing units (72 affordable rental, 42 market rate condos), 10,000 s.f. of neighborhood retail, 80 underground parking spaces

• Funding included $2.7 million state & City HOME funds, $2 million in TOD $, $750K CATNHP, $15.6 million LIHTC, etc.

Useful Resources

• The New Transit Town: Best Practices in Transit-Oriented Development, edited by Hank Dittmar & Gloria Ohland, Island Press, 2004

• Transit-Oriented Development in the United States: Experiences, Challenges and Prospects. TCRP Report 102, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, 2004

• Center for Transit-Oriented Development website: www.transitorienteddevelopment.org

Contact Information

Bob Gehret, Deputy Director

Policy Development & Research Division

Department of Neighborhood Development

26 Court Street, 8th Floor,Boston, MA 02108

E-mail: bgehret.dnd@cityofboston.gov

Phone: (617) 635-0242